


a small universe (with you in it)

by curiosity



Series: leokasa week 2020 [1]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Aliens, Alternate Universe - Space, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slow Burn, i don't know how to tag this i'm bad at tagging, leo is an alien here, technically it's just the mention of space rather than actual space, tsukasa is the fortunate human to have come across him, two mentions of the other knights members here too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:27:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23741539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curiosity/pseuds/curiosity
Summary: “Would you believe me if I told you I’m an alien who has been stuck on this planet for way too many years and just, really wanted to find someone interesting and you were the lucky one I happened to find?”(day 1 of leokasa week 2020, prompt: time & distance + space)
Relationships: Suou Tsukasa/Tsukinaga Leo
Series: leokasa week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1710718
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33
Collections: Leokasa Week





	a small universe (with you in it)

**Author's Note:**

> I tried flipping around the concept of the prompts: time for the fact that time on earth works differently than on space, distance for the fact that they are two different species, and space for... actual space mentions but the space scenario is nowhere to be found also because I was completely missing the inspiration to write a full out space fic when I barely even had time to write this one. so. I... yeah, I just hope this also works. 
> 
> p.s.: if you want to listen to anything while reading this just listen to the instrumental versions of the entire atlas: space album by sleeping at last because that was all I listened to while writing this hot mess. also, for reference, leo is dressed up in the same way as that one cn enstars card. you know the one.
> 
> happy leokasa week, everyone!!
> 
> (iaccidentallyswitchedpovsatonepointthroughthisandifanyonenoticesitpleasedon'tscreamatmeiwrotemorethanhalfofthisbetweenmidnightand6amintwodayshahahelp)

As far as he could remember, he had been on this planet for (perhaps) many years, years he could no longer count with the fingers of his hands alone.

Looking at the night sky was always so comforting, so relaxing. The countless shining stars, the mischievous, beautiful moon, the sleepy and warm sun, the infinite cosmos beyond that adoring vast sky. Upon admiring them, they always granted him a different perception of reality - comparing the one he had lived so long ago, days now barely memorable outside of a few remarkable moments, and the one he currently lived. Sweet, blissful days in his home planet, days in which he lived amongst his people, eons away and forgotten in the universe - he missed those quite often, indulging in the memories he could recall. 

His beloved sister and her radiant smile, who always greeted him whenever he rose from his comfort. His dearest mother and her serene singing, who always filled their days with never-ending happiness. His cherished father and his heartfelt laughter, who always stood by all of them for whatever they needed.

When it came down to it, his own species back in his home planet and the species on Earth were not so unlike one another. 

If only he had not accepted the expedition. If only.

It had become a ritual of sorts in his world, to reach a certain age and go on a trip across space - you would call it a coming-of-age ceremony in a way. Since their science advances had been constantly evolving, they were far ahead into knowing how to use the speed of light to their own favour. They had incorporated the new system into a spaceship which was used every cycle to take their young population into the unknown, and hopefully, motivate them to join their scientific forces to continue their many reachers of expanding their horizons into other planets.

Leo himself ( _Leo_ , he reminded himself his name was Leo, named after a creature of the same planet he currently found himself stuck in, the ruler of the realm of beasts) always yearned to learn about the universe and what was far beyond it, and oh, how ecstatic he had been for his journey to arrive. He had not been so keen on joining to help with researches, though; those plans had not been what he had in mind for his future post-coming-of-age. 

However, when the time came for it to be his turn, the worst case scenario came to unfold. 

Technical issues no one could have foreseen struck their spaceship. It was sent out of course as soon as they reached the Solar System, coming close to Mars and Earth. They would have eventually learnt it came to happened due to a powerful wave of electromagnetic energy sent through a closeby pulsar, one which occurred with a gigantic blast. Some of the passengers managed to remain safe thankfully due to the locations they had found themselves in the ship at the moment it lost its control… and many others were unfortunately caught in the turmoil and were sent off the spaceship due to impact.

Everything which came to develop after that dreadful incident became a vague blur in Leo’s recollection. The moment he regained conscious, he was in a brand new location, somewhere he had never been before. Lost and confused and with no one nearby him to provide with comfort. Holding zero concept of how time passed here. Isolated from everything and everyone he had ever known. His surroundings were only tall, eeries trees in an ocean of more green hidden under the colours of the night sky, and peculiar noises coming from a sight painted in all kinds of light. The closest memories he held onto were of his name, his family, always close to his heart, and the sight of the immense starlight he was accustomed to marvel at back in his serene home planet.

For years afterwards, Leo’s only company was his unbearable loneliness and his fear of the world he was on. 

Leo learnt eventually how to take care of himself, being careful not to raise too much attention - or, at least, trying not to. The first few years he spent on Earth were of utmost struggle - and, oh, how long it took him to realise this place was called Earth, and how he took even longer to discover the name of the “city” he was at the moment - busy learning the ways of the people here and how they functioned.

Society on Earth did not, however, ease any concerns in his doubting heart. He remained hidden in the deepest shadows, finding a place to temporarily call a shelter (a completely abandoned habitation, he did not make much of a fuss out of it), which allowed him to do several scouts to help himself with sustain. He would use his power of invisibility to keep himself away from possible dangers, and, despite the fact that he had never been too fond of using it, it felt like the way of coward to live - though, between being a coward and staying alive for a longer time, he would much rather being a coward.

Leo looked upon the night sky once more, before retreating to his little shelter, dreading yet another day just as the previous ones.

_(Ah…_

_...The stars back home were so much prettier._ )

-

Days after only moping around, Leo held his head high and assured himself of something: that today was the day he would somehow (and somehow was the keyword in said sentence) connect with a human being.

His fear still reigned over him, most certainly. However, Leo began debating just how well informed he was at this point in time of the habits and lifestyles of this world’s population. The plan was to simply choose someone he found interesting (surely, it would not be so difficult), follow them around while he remained invisible, and done. Perhaps if he could work this through a few days as well, he would begin falling under a new kind of routine.

(He surely would not convince anyone if he dared to speak lies on how he was not itching to hold a conversation with anyone, after remaining in complete isolation for too long.)

He stepped out of his shelter (which had grown to change slightly by his own work throughout the years) into the daylight, straight into the city where he would hopefully find the ideal person.

As for the kind of person Leo was looking for - not even he himself was aware of the standards he could set hold onto. Relying on anyone who appeared to be about the same as his parents seemed like a far stretch, maybe a possible risk to take if anything yelled the fact that he was just an unfortunate, innocent and kind-hearted alien to have landed after a terrible crash in a planet with people who were full of nonsense. His clothes would be one of those red flags. Leo put down a mental note to scratch that option down, so, it was one less in the list. Maybe, someone who seemed more close to his own body appearance - he would still be dealing with the age gap, whatever said gap was, since he was yet to be fully certain how time worked other than being aware of the sun rising to its glory and the moon dancing in the darkness every day. Maybe one person similar to that would be open-minded to talking to an alien. Positive thinking, right? Nothing could possibly go wrong.

Leo spotted something curious as he jumped from building to building, continuing to be invisible. Something he had yet to discover during his time down on Earth - he sped up his pace, careful not to bump into anyone by accident. Dodging the enormous crowd in the streets was almost like waltzing, and he had found some kind of enjoyment in it, after being confined to his dread only. He ran, and he ran, until he came across a grand machine with way more than four wheels alone. He grew accustomed to those, but this one - this was one he had yet to see. 

He turned on the speed in his boots to keep up with the elegant automobile, until he finally came to a stop, which was a gate the double of his size, surrounded by an immense amount of fauna and flora. From afar, Leo could picture a building of a massive size, painted in all kinds of exquisite details. He imagined this tiny corner of the world could only belong to one of those famed celebrities he constantly heard murmuring of through the streets. 

Could it be this was the chance he was looking for, he debated himself. Most certainly there would be someone interesting beyond this gate and ahead of this vast garden, within those doors which appeared to be very traditional for the area he had been on for the past years. The possibilities were endless, he imagined.

The amused alien grinned, murmuring under his breath. “...There’s only one way to find out!”

-

Leo would soon come to realise his sense of direction was an utmost disaster.

So, what if he had not plan this strategy through. He would not have guessed so easily that there would be even more to this household than what he had seen in the front. Slightly disoriented might have been a misunderstanding if he mentioned it out loud, especially considering he was in unknown territory for the first occasion in a very long time. Back in his home planet, he also tended to get lost, usually whenever he needed a moment for himself and walked away from everything and everyone to admire the starlight and beyond. This, however - this mansion was something else.

It had been quiet for the most part, only a few people were currently walking through the hallways, cleaning and tidying their surroundings. Leo was not certain what he would name these people, but he had the sensation they were far from being the owners of this incredible household.

Suddenly, he heard melodies gracing his ears, coming through the very end of the corridors. Curiosity ran through his heartbeat almost immediately, itching to discover where or who was the cause of such marvelous refrains. Minutes after, Leo discovered the door in which the sounds were coming from, looking around to see if he could possibly get by without straight up opening the gate to a new discovery. He instantly tried to secure a window he could possibly use to admire what would be found within those four walls, and - bingo, he discovered one. 

Inside the room, Leo encountered someone who appeared to be no older than him in terms of physical appearance. A boy of crimson hair and amethyst eyes, who spun the most serene melodies with his graceful tone. Leo paid no attention to the remaining details surrounding the two of them, focusing only in the way the boy gently moved as he sang the ballad. It was entrancing, captivating even, the way a single human managed to charm him so shortly. In the period he had been lost in this planet, he surely had gained a new found eagerness to become familiar with the overall civilization, lurking in the shadows. Something in this boy, though, awoke a chain reaction within Leo himself.

( _He’s the one. He is the one I’m meant to find here._ )

Once the song reached its finale, Leo found himself sitting by the limits of the window, already within the room, applauding the boy.

“Oh, oh, can you do that again? That was really beautiful! The only other alie-- _person_ , who I ever heard singing before in my life was my mother, and she was also pretty good at it! I can also sing, sometimes, but I don’t think I’m good at it? You, though - you’re really amazing?!”

Leo might have dodged the bullet on saying the word alien right then, but he did not dodge the very confused expression coming from the red head human boy. 

Which led to the latter almost screeching out loud.

Leo bounced towards the boy before the scream came through, covering the other’s mouth. “No, no, it’s okay! Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you! Ah, I should’ve known this was going to happen,” Leo groaned. “That was not my intention, I’m just really bad at showing myself to people, and now I’m ranting, again? Force of habit, apparently, but I promise you, I really do - I’m not going to hurt you! I’m lost. Kinda. Very lost. I have no idea where I am right now. And I need help.”

A whole rush of confusion was visible through the redhead's violet eyes. Leo didn’t know what to conclude out of the entire situation, other than to curse himself for not being more careful as he should have been - but, to be fair, the instant connection he felt with the way the boy was singing earlier - he could not put into words even if he wished to describe it.

Leo whispered another plea of “I promise”, and the second the boy looked less agitated, he let go of the hand he placed on his mouth.

“I know… perhaps better than my own judgement, not to jump into conclusions immediately… Nevertheless, this is… disturbing,” The boy pronounced, gracing Leo’s ears again with his voice which was so delightfully sweet. He was clearly trying to act maturely. “May I ask who you are..? And how you got here?” 

“You promise not to scream? Or overreact? Like, pinky swear promise? This is important, I swear. You might not be ready to hear it.”

Concern settled again on plum coloured eyes. “Uh… What could possibly be so critical?”

“So,” Leo began, readying himself for the rant of a lifetime. “Would you believe me if I told you I’m an alien who has been stuck on this planet for way too many years and just, really wanted to find someone interesting and you were the lucky one I happened to find?”

They stayed in silence for a few moments. Neither of them spoke a word after the sudden confession. Well, it had to be now or never, or Leo doubted he would encounter someone else he would hold a conversation with. Plus, this kind of deserved an explanation on its own.

A loud sound of a crash echoed through the room. In a flash, the boy had passed out in the midst of the room floor.

Leo facepalmed himself. “Yeah. I figured you wouldn’t be ready.”

-

Every single person present in that household ultimately came to check on the boy’s wellbeing, upon hearing the crashing sound from afar.

Leo hid himself outside the window he had entered the room, listening to the chaos unfolding in the room. It was a rumbling mess of cries, wondering if the boy was okay; comments and concerns passing on from mouth to mouth, pondering if “Suou-sama had not been overworking himself” and how he “should start taking care of himself better, this was unusual of him”, among many other things being said too quickly for Leo to even allow himself the time to process.

(He guessed that the boy’s name was, in fact, Suou. He had no idea what it meant, but, it was a pretty sounding name.)

A while later and the boy - Suou, Leo corrected himself in this thoughts - had been carefully laid down on the enormous bed present in the center of the room. Suou slept peacefully under the comfort of his bed, and Leo, despite knowing better than to call it a day and leave while he could before the circumstances got extremely messy, hopped into the room once more, to look upon Suou’s condition.

Suou seemed to be dreaming of something, mumbling in his sleep. Leo could tell some words apart, though they were all very incoherent without proper context. Some weak apologies escaped from his parting lips as he whispered about how he was “going to do his best”. Leo could only stare at him and question what was taking place in Suou’s realm of dreams. He allowed himself one more step further, now closer to Suou to admire his features. Those vibrant violet eyes from before were now resting, so Leo couldn’t look upon them. However, everything else in this boy radiated just as much, even sleeping. He moved closer, yet again, the interest of knowing more about this random kid rising within his chest.

Suddenly, Suou woke up, and Leo was only inches away from his face.

Their second encounter face to face ended this time with Leo crashing on the floor.

A hasty gasp escaped Suou, upon realising who he hit. “Oh. That was not a dream.”

“...Yeah. Uh,” Leo fiddled around with his thumbs, after managing to sit properly on the floor. “I’m sorry. I guess I deserved to be pushed like that, after you passed out, too.”

“...How long have I been asleep?”

“A few hours, to say the least. Can’t really tell, my perception of time is still a bit screwed. The sun has set already.”

“Were you around all this time?”

“...Maybe?”

“Oh, God,” All he wanted was to run away and find some place he could hide himself. “Alright... My apologies. I think we should restart from the beginning. If you want to, mister…?”

“Leo! I’m Leo,” he excitedly waved from where he was standing. “Like that funny creature you guys have in this planet? Think it’s called a lion? Or something? Hey, don’t call me mister, I’m pretty sure we could be around the same age!”

“Leo… -san,” Suou quickly added the honorific suffix, gulping. “You’re… an alien, you say. You look the same as a human, though? And speak just like one, too? Everything is the same, other than,” He pointed at Leo. “...your awfully distinct outfit.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s a thing. I also didn’t know humans would be so similar to our kind,” Leo responded. “Few years around here did surprise me a lot, let me tell ya! It’s really interesting, wahaha!”

Suou sighed, whispering to himself afterwards. “Please, tell me I’m still dreaming… I would prefer Sena-senpai’s scoldings over this...”

“Huh? You say something, Suou?”

“No, no, don’t- wait,” Suou paused. “How do you know my name?”

“I heard those other people earlier say it. The ones who came running here after you passed out on the floor. I don’t know who they are, but, they seemed really concerned for your health?”

“Ah… my attendants, most likely,” He pressed a hand to his chin. “They do tend on running to me if anything seems off normal. I do not recall anything after passing out, but I’m certain it caused quite the commotion.”

“Wahaha!” Leo’s heartfelt laughter echoed through the walls of the room, and Suou quickly told him to shuush, so no one would suspect of what was occuring behind the doors of their young master’s room. “Oops. Forgot for a moment I’m still here without anyone else knowing. Well, anyone else except for you.”

“Right…” Suou was more than certain at this point that the red flags could not become any more, and that this on its own was already too much to be coping with at the current time. Or any time, as a matter of fact. Still, his own curiosity spoke louder than his fair judgement. “Could you maybe tell me about your circumstances? I’m intrigued, of course, since this meeting is… somewhat unique.”

“Sure, can do that.” Leo nodded, hopping from the floor to sit by the edge of Suou’s bed, winning him a confused look from the latter. He quickly resumed what had happened to him, all those many years ago. Where he came from, a planet located galaxies far, far away from the one he was on right now. About the coming-of-age ceremony, and about their spaceship which used the speed of light mechanic, and about it losing its control due to an unnatural source of energy spread through the vacuum. About how he stayed abandoned in a random shelter he came across some day, after waking up on Earth. About Leo’s loneliness, which he was not so straightforward about, regardless of actually wishing to let someone know it was unbearable. About Leo’s fear of being caught by anyone who did not seem trustworthy (Suou’s cheeks lit up slightly upon hearing this, although Leo failed to notice it), of possibly being captured and being experimented on, because that was something they had taught him about before.

Suou found himself completely speechless by the grand catastrophe we was just told about.

“I have a lot trouble dealing human emotions,” Leo sighed, his frustration clear in his voice, after finishing his story. “They’re confusing. This world is still confusing to me, even after being in it for so long. So, I really need you to work with me here. You’re the only one who knows about me.”

Suou tried to form words, his lips moving as if something was holding him back. Nothing seemed quite fitting to be told, when he was just faced with Leo’s grim experience. A simple “sorry to hear” wouldn’t do, either. Instead, he could only think of one solution, and he prayed for his judgement to be the correct one down the line.

(If only he found the proper words to describe how he perceived the evident melancholy in Leo’s incredibly lonely emerald eyes. It shattered his heart into the smallest of pieces, almost in a flash. The moonlight shone quietly through the window of his bedroom, turning this moment into something intangible, and Leo’s fading smile was at the center of it.

Leo’s heart was bound to be shattered, too.)

“Where are you going, after leaving here?”

The alien shrugged. “Back to my shelter. It ain’t much, but it’s all I’ve had until now. Well, I can come back here, if you became that fond of me! I wouldn’t mind either! I’ll just have to be more careful than I was today, probably try not to get myself lost - actually, I think I might get lost on the way back too, now that I think about it. Ah, I should have paid more attention to my-”

“...No. I can’t let you go.” Suou interrupted Leo’s immediate response, making the latter feel confused.

“Huh?”

“It doesn’t feel right,” Suou said, his fists grasping his bed sheets tighter and tighter, each passing second. “No. It’s not right. No one deserves to be left alone, like you did. I cannot let you go like this.”

Leo stayed silent, allowing Suou to continue. “Stay over here. I’ll keep you safe, somehow. I’ll be careful with my parents and attendants. I’m not always at home - I do attend school, after all. But… I don’t want you to keep on suffering like this anymore.”

(If he didn’t know any better, he could have sworn to almost imagining a single teardrop roll through Leo’s cheek.)

All of a sudden, in a blink of an eye, Leo was gone.

“...Oh.”

That was it, then. Brought down the curtain on the stage, on an once in a lifetime occurrence unfolded in his little room filled with delicate elements. Ah, perhaps it had been a dream all along, in the end? Of course, that was the only explanation for what it could have been. Willingly accepting that a man with orange hair tied in a ponytail had simply waltzed into his bedroom and claimed to be a alien - definitely the kind of concept of a dream. Perhaps he should start listening more often to everyone in his household, as well as the seniors at his school. He definitely worked himself off too harshly, and-

“You really are too interesting for your own good, aren’t you? Wahaha! I see I wasn’t wrong on going after that strange wheeled machine, after all! Alright. I’ll accept your deal.”

Leo appeared again in the same spot he was before suddenly disappearing, right by the edge of Suou’s bed, tearing apart the thoughts crossing his mind.

“That was my invisibility power. Pretty neat, huh?”

“...I can tell you’re going to be a complicated one to deal with.” Despite the harsh words, they carried an unexpected tenderness in them, and a hint of euphoria that Leo had not left him, after he showed so much concern for him.

“People back at my home say that about me, too? I wonder what’s up with that!”

Tsukasa chuckled, admiring just how childish this creature - this alien, who appeared to be just as human as he was, acted in the brief moments they had already spent together. “Well then, I guess a proper introduction is needed. My name is Suou Tsukasa, son of the well-esteemed Suou family.” He extended his hand for a handshake. “Pleased to meet you, Leo-san.”

“Nice to meetcha, too, Suou! Uchuu~!” Leo brought his hands to the side of his face, doing peace signs with them.

“Uchuu…?”

“That’s what we say back home as a greeting! It’s an alien calling!”

Perhaps if a third person were to witness this scene unfolding before their eyes, they would have failed to grasp the instant connection and bond between the two of them - the relationship that began growing between a single human, one of the name Suou Tsukasa, who lived peaceful life filled with obligations and duties, and a single alien, one of the name Leo, who had been adrift in an ocean of solitude due to unfortunate events, until this very moment.

Both Leo and Tsukasa, however, had unconditional bliss radiating from their cheery smiles. And, to both of them, that was the only thing that mattered.

-

(The first night Leo stayed over at the Suou household, Tsukasa’s anxiety was off the charts.

He may had been too quick to act on his judgement. He brought himself to admit that much, even if not out loud. One of the details he happened to end up forgetting about was, by having Leo stay over, it meant for Tsukasa to find somewhere for him to sleep. 

Leo immediately answered it would not be any problem or concern to sleep on the floor, since he was used to it, and that rapidly made Tsukasa raise his eyebrows. That certainly would not do, that was not a part of the arrangement. Tsukasa eventually commented that he could share his bed with Leo, since it had plenty of space for two people. The proposal was slightly embarrassed when brought up, but Leo did not appear to mind much of it, accepting it wholeheartedly.

As they tucked themselves into bed, after Tsukasa handed out some clean clothes for Leo to switch from his regular green-coloured outfit, full of alien functions, the latter recounted more stories about space, the constellations he was fond of, the planets which orbited around his home planet, about science and the advances his people had, and everything else which came to his mind. Tsukasa felt as if he had been instantly dragged into a brand new universe, without having left the stillness of his home. All the incredible stories Leo spun on the spot, they marveled him beyond comprehension, and he wished to learn more and more.

Without his costume on, Tsukasa remarked Leo’s body had tiny circles of light painted through it. They matched the spots in his costume which shone with a soft azure glow, now that he realised. It was so mysterious and out of range for Tsukasa’s knowledge. One thing was positive, though - it was an otherworldly kind of beauty.

Some more stories and a few yawns later, Leo had fallen asleep peacefully. It was apparent to Tsukasa it was a deep, comfortable sleep, and he wondered if it was the first time since Leo had crashed on Earth that he managed to win a good night’s rest. He tucked the bed sheets to be more cozily wrapped around Leo, then settled down on his pillow.

Tsukasa drifted to sleep shortly after, hoping everything would be alright for the two of them.)

-

As days became months, and months became one full year, Leo learnt how to be a human from Tsukasa.

Well, not exactly fully human, but close to it. His existence under the rooftop of the Suou household was yet to be discovered, as they learnt together how to be extremely careful to avoid causing troubles for anyone. Tsukasa carried on his regular routine - eating breakfast, having his attendants drive him to school, spending most of the daylight hours there, and eventually coming home by sunset to everyone delightfully welcoming the young heir back with loving smiles. As for Leo, compared to how he was living before Tsukasa handed out change and reached out to him, things had gotten better. Being hidden was still part of his routine, though his fear of being caught had eased in the depths of his heart, thanks to Tsukasa’s reassurance and company. He continued to go out, sometimes, using his invisibility power to cover his presence, and started daring himself to be more bold, for example, when going after for self-sustain. He couldn’t rely on Tsukasa all the time for food, so, he began heading out to stores by himself. 

(“Isn’t that considered stealing?” Tsukasa commented once, judging Leo thoroughly.

“You know, it ain’t stealing if I can’t appear before anyone else to properly buy stuff?!” Leo defended his own position, earning a flick in the forehead from Tsukasa afterwards.)

And so, their days together were always eventful, filled with new occurrences and making new memories.

Some late nights, after everyone had quietly retreated to their rooms and travelled to dream land, Leo dragged Tsukasa to climb up the roof of his house. Leo was used to stargazing alone for many, many years - though, there was something about being able to share it with Tsukasa that made it so much more special.

In one of those relaxing evenings, with the moon dancing on a stage filled with the brightest of starlight, Leo looked upon Tsukasa so very serenely, holding his legs up to rest his chin between his knees.

“I think,” Leo started. “I think I see stars in your eyes.”

This caught Tsukasa off guard, bringing a faint shade of crimson to grace his cheeks. He did not interrupt Leo, only staring back at him as a confirmation on how he could carry on. 

“They’re not the same from back home, though. They’re closer to the ones in this planet’s night sky. Still different, though. Less spacey, more human, I’d guess. So close for me to reach out to them, and yet so far.”

Leo paused for a second to look up again to the stars, before resuming to his speech. “Kinda sad how the moon here stays alone. There’s actually more than one moon orbiting around my planet. Probably sounds too bizarre for you to imagine, yeah?”

Tsukasa nodded at that. Leo chucked, continuing his thoughts. “Maybe, this moon here misses the sun. Maybe, she wishes she could be with the sun. But, they have to do their respective jobs in polar opposites. Ah, a tragic story of star-crossed lovers…”

It had been hard to pinpoint the exact moment it came to settle down in his heart - there had been a new found emotion within Leo’s system which made his stomach wish to do complete full circle turns (which he assumed was what the people here called “butterflies”). He had been avoiding even bringing it up for the past few days (weeks? months?) in case it would cause discord in their relationship. The impulsive need to be reckless kept rising in his chest, and maybe - maybe now was the time to bring up one innocent request.

"Suou,” Leo gulped, appearing to be uncharacteristically nervous. “...can I kiss you?"

A loud “eh?” escaped Tsukasa’s mouth, and if his cheeks weren’t red enough a few moments ago, they were definitely a bright scarlet right now.

 _Oh, shit_ , Leo panicked. _Think fast, think fast, quick, quick_. “That’s the thing people do when they like someone else, right? At least, I think that’s what they do! I think I like you, maybe? You’re kind of my savior, so, I guess it makes sense for me to appreciate you this much. Ugh, I don’t get human emotions after all-”

Tsukasa reached out to Leo, cupping the latter’s face with his two hands. For a brief moment, emeralds met with a fierce stare from amethysts, putting Leo’s rant to a pause for the upteempth time, before Tsukasa locked their lips together.

If Leo had about zero to none experience in this, he was most certain the same could be said about Tsukasa. It was sloppy - their noses hit each other, their teeth clashed, they were both two amatures who lacked the knowledge in the matter. That aside, it carried each other’s feelings for one another, which was the most important. It was almost like a chain of supernovas - one of Leo’s favourite space related concepts. Explosive and intense, passionate and furious. They may be two completely different specimen, from polar opposites of the universe. Who was to say they couldn’t share and learn how to love together, though?

Tsukasa was the first one to break the silence, after their lips parted.

“You are a complete idiot.”

“Hey, that’s kind of rude? I thought you were meant to be the educated rich boy you are taught to be?”

Another flick in Leo’s forehead - those had become quite frequent in their relationship, apparently. “That does not mean for me to stop being honest, does it now?”

After an exchange of lighthearted laughs and smiles, it was Tsukasa’s turn of making the questions. “Have you ever heard of stories about kings and knights, Leo-san?”

“Sort of,” Leo answered. “I read some of the books about them lying around your room. You do have a lot of them. Kinda cute.”

“Perhaps in our own story, then,” Tsukasa reached out to hold Leo’s hand. “You can be the king of the cosmos, fallen from a shooting star. And I can be your earthling knight, devoted to serve and protect you.”

“...Heh. I like the way you think, Suou.”

-

(One day, Tsukasa woke up from his slumber and Leo was not there anymore.

Immediate confusion and uneasiness settled down in his beating heart. He did not like any of this. He was not enjoying any of this. There had never been a day they spent together in which Leo had left without a word. Tsukasa had grown so comfortably accustomed to waking up and having a smile as warm as the sun looking down on him, along with a messy orange bedhead, not to mention the affectionate bickering and lots of gentle kisses.

A quick glance to the side was enough to notice a messy note had been left by his bed. He could tell it was something dropped behind by Leo. 

Tsukasa dreaded picking it up. The last thing he wished to was to accept the possible reality, a timeline he refused to acknowledge. However, he forced himself to read it, the note shaking ever so slightly in his hands.

_sorry, suou. got a message from my people. they found me at last. went to talk to them and work things out._

_i’ll be b… i pr..._

The last part of the message was smudged, being completely unreadable. Tsukasa could also tell it was slightly wet. Apparently, someone else was also not so good at dealing with saying goodbyes and parting scenes.

They were always meant to be star-crossed lovers, just like the sun and the moon were.

In a day in which the skies were covered by dark clouds, with no light casted off through them, Suou Tsukasa shed tears for a love which was never meant to be.)

-

Months went by, and normality came to be reestablished in Tsukasa’s life.

Breakfast, being driven to school. Dealing with Sena-senpai, getting a pat in the back by Narukami-senpai. Seeing Ritsu-senpai asleep under the kotatsu they had in their studio room. Leaving school past sunset, having his attendant picking him up. Coming back to his household, so full of cheerful people and heartwarming smiles - and yet lacking the one which occupied his every thought.

It was as if a certain orange-haired alien had never appeared out of thin air in his bedroom in a memorable evening, with the moonlight shining upon him. As if the magic they shared together was only but a recurring dream. As if the supernovas they created immediately ceased to exist.

(Tsukasa realised, in that moment - he never had the chance to sing once more for Leo, after their first encounter.

He desperately wished he could turn back the clocks of time. To gift Leo this much, to thank him for the happiness and excitement he had brought to his everyday routine.)

Lying down on his bed in the tranquility of his room, Tsukasa opened his drawer at the side to hold up Leo’s final note to him. The writing in it because more smudged compared to how it had been months ago, also due to the tears he shed in the day in which Leo parted from him. His finger passed through the very last words which were written on it, as if it would suddenly make the smudge disappear and show him what Leo had meant to say.

He curled into a ball afterwards, holding the note in his fist. Tsukasa would do anything to hear Leo’s voice again, to hear the way he so happily pronounced his name in that peculiar alien accent of his. Now, that was only but a fleeting dream, and never again would his ears be graced with-

“Suou, I thought you’d deal better with me being gone?”

A voice declared, although he was certain there was no one else in this room besides him. Ah, surely he had finally reached the rock bottom to be hallucinating and hearing things inside his head - it was impossible. Although, if it was possible, and if it was really true, couldn’t Leo also...

“You sure forgot I could turn invisible quickly, didn’t you?! I’m hurt! Weren’t you supposed to know everything about me, Suou Tsukasa?”

Tsukasa turned around in his bed, finally meeting the source of the voice. If he didn’t jump immediately to Leo’s arms in that moment, it was because his mind was being clouded by innumerous questions which crossed his mind too quickly.

“But - but, you… you…” Tears rapidly turned Tsukasa’s vision into a blur. “You left! All those months ago! Why are you here? Why did you return?!”

“Hold it there, Suou!” Leo raised his hands to the air as if he was surrendering. “...I’m sorry I left without saying anything, other than that stupid note.”

Tsukasa remained speechless, waiting for more explanations from Leo. The latter sighed, walking his way up to the edge of Tsukasa’s bed, where he sat down.

“My family came with the spaceship. They went around through galaxies looking for me. It was never made certain whether I had fallen to some planet back then, when the spaceship lost control, or if I simply were adrift in space. My parents never gave up on hope, until they detected a signal from my suit, coming from Earth.

“We actually never left the Solar System, in case you were wondering. We stayed close by Earth, since it wasn’t my intention to go back home. I told them about everything that happened here, from start to finish. That includes you, too.”

Leo slowly approached Tsukasa’s hand, linking his pinky finger to the latter’s. “I promised I’d be back. I would never leave you, idiot. Not after you went out of your way to save me, and give me a home.”

If this was all an illusion created by his brain to self-indulge himself, Tsukasa would gladly accept it. He realized, though, better than anyone else, that his pain and longing had come to an end, because his beloved extraterrestrial king has returned to ease the heart of his loyal knight. He pressed a kiss to Leo’s lips, a sensation he had been craving for a while.

“I would…” Leo began speaking after their quick kiss, a hint of embarrassment finding its way to his features. “...actually like to introduce you to my parents and to my sister. They won’t be around for too long, since, you know, it’s dangerous and everything… but, they also said they would love to thank the kind human who took care of their son.”

“I would be more than delighted to meet your family,” Tsukasa truthfully replied, slowly becoming more curious about meeting an alien family. “Although, maybe you should have given me a ring before that?"

“Huh?” A gasp escaped from Leo. “Wait. I’m not used to that manner of life, Suou? I’m completely broke? Why do you tease me like this? Actually, you’re the rich kid, shouldn’t you get me a ring in that case?”

Their bickering was something so important, so cherished, absolutely incomprehensive to anyone else. If there was a third person watching this scene unfolding before their eyes, they would have failed to grasp how strong their bond had become, due to the time they spent together. Maybe that was what love was, at the end of the day.

Leo would remain hidden in the shadows, for as long as he lived on Earth, third planet of the Solar System counting from the Sun, located somewhere in the vast universe filled with many cosmos and endless starlight. 

He did not pay any mind to it - not as long as he was in the presence of his favourite earthling, for as long as he was allowed to. 

Besides, the stars in Tsukasa’s eyes became more colourful and dear to him than the ones he looked upon back home.

**Author's Note:**

> epilogue: tsukasa met the tsukinagas. he met ruka and he was immediately like 'oh my god a tiny version of leo-san' but ruka got shy and hid behind their parents. and he immediately took his comment back because leo would never get embarrassed or shy.
> 
> I think if I had had more time this would have gone down the 'leo got captured and tsukasa who is just a poor high school student actually kicked ass to go save him because that's the power of love babey' route. but we should all be glad I did not go down that rabbit hole.
> 
> thank you so very much for reading! hmu on twitter for more otp crying on a daily basis


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